System and method for charging a barcode scanner

ABSTRACT

Cordless indicia readers may use a rechargeable energy storage unit (RESU) for power. The RESU may include either at least one lithium-ion battery or at least one super capacitor. Problems may arise when an RESU containing a lithium-ion battery is charged using a super-capacitor charging-scheme. The present invention embraces a system and method for charging a barcode scanner that includes determining the RESU type and then charging the RESU with a charging process that is appropriate for the RESU type.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 62/101,242 for a Power Source Pack Detection filed Jan. 8,2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to chargers for charging a rechargeableenergy storage unit (RESU). More specifically, the present inventionrelates to a charger for a barcode scanner that is configured to detectthe barcode-scanner's RESU type and then choose a charging scheme (i.e.,charging process) appropriate for the particular RESU type.

BACKGROUND

Handheld and/or wireless barcode scanners (i.e., indicia readers) aretypically powered by a rechargeable energy storage unit (RESU).Traditionally the RESU has used a battery as its energy storagecomponent. Batteries are optimized to provide energy for prolongedperiods of continuous operation, which suits the needs for mostelectronic devices (e.g., laptops, cellphones, etc.). Barcode scanners,however, typically operate in a different fashion. Active periods areoften followed by periods of non-operation. As a result, other energystorage components may be considered for powering the barcode scanner. Asuper capacitor (i.e., ultra-capacitor, double layer capacitor, etc.),for example, may be suitable energy storage component for an RESU.

The super capacitor stores energy via a static charge rather than anelectrochemical reaction or other process. As a result, thecharging/operating characteristics required for super-capacitor RESUs isdifferent from battery RESUs. For example, a super-capacitor can becharged more quickly than a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. The supercapacitor may be charged/discharged many times and typically has alonger service life than a Li-ion battery. As a result, super capacitorsmay be used for barcode scanning applications, which may requireshort-term power bursts followed by quick charging periods.

The charging process (i.e., the currents/voltages applied over time) ofa super capacitor are different from a Li-ion battery. For example, thesuper capacitor may accept larger charge currents. The super capacitorcannot be overcharged and does not require the detection of afull-charge since the charge current stops flowing when the supercapacitor has reached its charge limit. A Li-ion battery, on the otherhand, requires carful control of charging current/voltage, and careshould be taken to stop charging when the battery has reached its chargelimit. In addition, safety mandates that the temperature of a Li-ionbattery be monitored and the charge/use of the Li-ion batterydiscontinued when the battery becomes excessively warm.

Either a Li-ion battery or a super capacitor may be used to as theenergy storage component in a barcode-scanner's RESU. It is desirablefor an RESU to fit/operate in any barcode-scanner/charger without regardto the type of energy storage component used by the RESU. Additionalmechanical keying features added to an RESU to indicate the RESU type(i.e., super-capacitor type or battery type) add additional costs andmay cause user frustration. One detectable difference between asuper-capacitor-type RESU and a battery-type RESU (e.g., Li-ion typeRESU) arises from the temperature sensor (e.g., thermistor) required fortemperature control in the battery-type RESU.

Traditionally, RESUs have an electrical connector (e.g., pin, tab,contact, etc.) specifically for monitoring temperature. Typically, thisconnector (i.e., thermistor pin) is connected to a thermistor within theRESU. Temperature may be detected by sensing the thermistor's resistance(i.e., the terminal resistance at the thermistor pin) since thethermistor's resistance varies with temperature (e.g., 10K ohms at roomtemperature). For a super-capacitor RESU, however, this pin may beshorted since temperature control is unnecessary. As a result, asuper-capacitor RESU and a Li-ion RESU may be visually identical butwill have different terminal resistances at their respective thermistorpins.

Therefore, a need exists for a charger that can detect what type of RESUis being charged based on the terminal resistance at the RESU'sthermistor pin and then adjust the charging process based on the type ofRESU detected.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention embraces a method forselecting a charging process. The method includes the step of providinga barcode scanner that has a particular type of rechargeable storageunit (RESU). The method also includes the step of connecting the RESU toa charger that can charge the RESU with a charging process customizedfor the RESU's particular type. The charger includes a detectioncircuit, and the method includes the step of detecting the RESU'sparticular type using the detection circuit connected to a thermistorpin on the RESU. Finally, the method includes the step of selecting thecharger's charging process based on the RESU's particular type.

In an exemplary embodiment of the method, the RESU's particular type iseither (i) a super-capacitor type that includes one or moresupercapacitors for storing energy or (ii) a battery type that includesone or more batteries (e.g., one or more Li-ion batteries) for storingenergy. Further, in one possible embodiment, the shape/size andelectrical interface of the RESU is the same for each type.

In another exemplary embodiment of the method, the step of detecting theRESU's particular type includes measuring a terminal resistance, whichis the resistance of a thermistor.

In another exemplary embodiment of the method, the RESU's particulartype is either a super-capacitor type with a terminal resistance ofabout zero ohms or a battery type with a terminal resistance of about10,000 ohms.

In another exemplary embodiment of the method, the detection circuitincludes a P-channel MOSFET. The P-channel MOSFET's source is connectedto a power source, while the MOSFET's drain is connected to the input ofa current limiting resistor. The detection circuit also includes ananalog-to-digital converter (ADC). The input to the ADC is connected tothe output of the current-limiting resistor and the RESU's thermistorpin so that the terminal resistance may be measured as a voltage, andthe output of the ADC is connected to a processor, which is included aspart of the charger to control the charger's charging process. Here, theprocessor may be configured by software to (i) read the digital signaloutput from the ADC, (ii) select the charger's charging process based onthe digital signal, and (iii) control charging circuitry to applyvoltage/current to the RESU based on the selected charging process.

In another exemplary embodiment of the method, the charger is a chargingcradle that is configured to hold and charge the RESU.

In another exemplary embodiment of the method, the charger is a chargingcradle that is configured to hold and charge the RESU while the RESU isconnected to the barcode scanner.

In another aspect, the present invention embraces a charging system forcharging a wireless barcode scanner. The charging system includes awireless barcode scanner having an RESU. The charging system alsoincludes a charger that is configured to electrically connect to theRESU for charging. The charger includes a detection circuit to determinethe RESU's energy storage component. The charger also includes aprocessor that is configured to (i) receive a signal from the detectioncircuit, (ii) determine the RESU's energy storage component based on thesignal, and (iii) charge the RESU's energy storage component based onthe determination. The charging of the RESU's energy storage componentincludes the processor controlling charging circuity to delivery energyto the RESU according to a charging process that corresponds to theRESU's energy storage component.

In one exemplary embodiment of the charging system, the RESU's storagecomponent is either one or more a super capacitors or one or morelithium-ion batteries.

In another exemplary embodiment of the charging system, the RESU havingone or more super capacitors is visibly identical to the RESU having oneor more lithium-ion batteries.

In another exemplary embodiment of the charging system, the RESU'sstorage component corresponds to a terminal resistance at a thermistorpin on the RESU.

In another exemplary embodiment of the charging system, the terminalresistance for an energy storage component having one or morelithium-ion batteries is the resistance of a thermistor.

In another exemplary embodiment of the charging system, the terminalresistance for an energy storage component having one or more supercapacitors is the resistance of a short-circuit to ground.

In another exemplary embodiment of the charging system, the terminalresistance for an energy storage component having one or more supercapacitors and the terminal resistance for an energy storage componenthaving one or more lithium-ion batteries differ by more than 1000 ohms.

In another exemplary embodiment of the charging system, the detectioncircuit converts the terminal resistance at the thermistor pin into acorresponding voltage level signal. In one particular embodiment, thedetection circuit includes a P-channel MOSFET and an analog-to-digitalconverter (ADC). The MOSFET's source is connected to a power source,while the MOSFET's drain is connected to the input of a current-limitingresistor so that current flows through the current limiting resistorwhen the MOSFET is turned on for detection. The ADC's input is connectedto the output of the current-limiting resistor and the thermistor pin onthe RESU so that the voltage at the input ADC corresponds to theterminal resistance. The digital signal at the output of the ADCcorresponds to the voltage at the ADC's input.

In another exemplary embodiment of the charging system, the charger is acharging cradle having a housing configured to mechanically andelectrically mate with the RESU. The housing also contains the detectioncircuit, the processor, and the charging circuitry.

The foregoing illustrative summary, as well as other exemplaryobjectives and/or advantages of the invention, and the manner in whichthe same are accomplished, are further explained within the followingdetailed description and its accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1a depicts an exploded view of a barcode scanner and a rechargeableenergy storage unit (RESU) according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 1b graphically depicts a barcode scanner, a charger, and a powersupply according to an exemplary implementation of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 schematically depicts a block diagram of an RESU according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of a charging system for a barcodescanner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 schematically depicts a detection circuit for a charger accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one regard, the present invention embraces a system for charging arechargeable storage unit (RESU). The RESU is configured to store energyupon charging and to deliver power to a barcode scanner during thescanner's operation. The RESU may store energy in a battery or asupercapacitor. It is desirable for an RESU using a battery as itsenergy storage component to be indistinguishable (i.e., in itsmechanical structure and electrical interface) from an RESU using asuper capacitor as the energy storage component. The chargingrequirements (e.g., voltages/currents applied over time) of a batteryare different from those of a super capacitor, and charging a batteryusing a super-capacitor charging process (or vice versa) could result indamage. The present invention embraces a system to sense the RESU typeand then to charge the RESU using the appropriate charging process basedon the RESU type.

An exemplary barcode scanner 1 is shown in FIG. 1a . The barcode scannershown is intended for wireless, handheld use and scanning may beachieved by pulling a trigger. The barcode scanner may be configured toscan barcodes (e.g., 1D barcodes, 2D barcodes, etc.) or perform otheroperations, such as optical character recognition or validation (e.g.,currency, identification). The term “barcode scanner” as used herein isnot intended to limit the scope of present invention to a particulartype of indicium (e.g., barcode) that can be scanned or to a particularmeans for reading (e.g., scanning, imaging) the indicium. The barcodescanner may be a gun-style as shown in FIG. 1, but may be embodiedotherwise (e.g., body-worn type, mobile-computer type, vehicle-mountedtype, sled type, etc.).

Also shown in FIG. 1a is an RESU 10. The RESU 10, in this example, maybe inserted into the handle of the barcode scanner 1 as illustrated bythe dashed arrow. The RESU has electrical connectors 11 (e.g., pins,tabs, sockets, etc.) to interface with a charger. These electricalconnectors may include (but are not limited to) a positive pin, anegative pin (e.g., ground pin), and a thermistor pin.

An implementation of an exemplary charging system for charging is shownin FIG. 1B. As shown, a barcode scanner 1 having an RESU installed(e.g., in the handle) may be placed (i.e., as shown by the dotted arrow)onto a charger 20. The charger shown in FIG. 1B is a charging cradlethat holds the RESU 10 (and barcode scanner 1), while electricallyconnecting with the RESU connectors 11. The charger 20 may be connectedto a power supply. The power supply may include an infrastructure powersource (e.g., power at a wall outlet) and the necessary circuitry toconvert/condition the electricity available from the infrastructure intovoltages/currents suitable for the charger. In one possible embodiment,the power supply is contained within the charger's housing so that thecharger may connected directly to a wall outlet. In another possibleembodiment, the power supply is a battery.

The charging system envisioned by the present invention is not limitedto the configuration shown in FIG. 1B. The present invention alsoenvisions a charging system in which the RESU is inserted directly intothe charger after its removal from the barcode scanner. In anotherpossible embodiment, the charger includes multiple charging bays, eachconfigured to charge an RESU. In another possible embodiment, thecharger is mechanically shaped (i.e., keyed) to accept a particular RESUshape or accept a particular orientation of the RESU. In anotherpossible embodiment, the charger includes indicators and/or a display toshow the conditions of the charger/RESU (e.g., the sensed RESU type, thecharging process type, the charging status, etc.).

A block diagram of an exemplary RESU is shown in FIG. 2. The RESUincludes an energy storage element capable being charged and recharged.The energy storage element includes either a super capacitor or abattery (e.g., lithium ion battery). An RESU with at least one supercapacitor is a super-capacitor type RESU, while an RESU with at leastone Li-ion battery is a battery-type RESU. In some cases, the energystorage component may be embodied as a bank of super capacitors that areelectrically connected so as to operate as a unit. In other cases, theenergy storage component may be embodied as a bank of Li-ion batteriesthat are electrically connected so as to operate as a unit.

The RESU includes a scanner interface 14 to electrically connect withthe barcode scanner. The RESU also includes a charger interface 13 toelectrically connect with a charger. In some cases, the scannerinterface and the charger interface are included in a single interface.

For a battery-type RESU, temperature-monitoring 15 may be included. Thetemperature monitoring 15 may include a thermistor that has atemperature-dependent resistance. By sensing the thermistor'sresistance, the RESU's temperature may be monitored (e.g., 10000 ohms atroom temperature). For a super-capacitor type RESU, temperaturemonitoring is typically unnecessary. As a result, the temperaturemonitoring 15 may be eliminated or replaced.

In super-capacitor RESUs, replacing the thermistor with another circuitelement can facilitate the identification of different RESU types. Inone possible embodiment the thermistor may be replaced with a shortcircuit (e.g. to ground). In another possible embodiment, the thermistormay be replaced with an open circuit. In another possible embodiment,the thermistor may be replaced with a particular resistance (e.g., sothat the terminal resistance difference between the RESU types isgreater than about 1000 ohms).

A block diagram illustrating an exemplary charging system is shown inFIG. 3. The RESU 10 is electrically connected to a charger 20 that isalso electrically connected to a power supply 21. In some possibleembodiments, the RESU may also be connected mechanically and/orelectrically to a barcode scanner 1.

The charger 20 includes a detection circuit 30. When connected to theRESU's thermistor pin (i.e., connector, port, etc.), the terminalresistance may be measured. An RESU including at least one lithium-ion(Li-ion) battery also includes a thermistor connected to the thermistorpin so that the terminal resistance measured at the thermistor pincorresponds with the temperature inside the RESU housing (e.g., about10,000 ohms at room temperature). An RESU that includes no Li-ionbatteries (i.e., super-capacitor type RESU) does not require temperaturemonitoring, therefore the thermistor may be replaced with circuitelement having a different resistance (e.g., open-circuit,short-circuit, resistor, etc.). By detecting the resistance of thethermistor or the circuit element, the RESU type (i.e., super-capacitoror battery) may be determined.

An exemplary detection circuit 30 is schematically shown in FIG. 4.Here, a P-Channel MOSFET 31 may be used. The MOSFET's source lead (S) isconnected to a power source, and the MOSFET's drain (D) lead isconnected to the input of a current-limiting resistor 32. The output ofthe current-limiting resistor 32 is attached to an analog-to-digitalconverter (ADC) 34 input and to the RESU's thermistor pin. The voltagedrop across the terminal resistance (RT) 33 measured at the thermistorpin, corresponds to the type of RESU. Likewise, the output of the ACD isa (digital) voltage-level signal corresponding to the type of RESU. Inthe case of the Li-ion battery RESU, the ADC 34 output will be fairlyhigh as the thermistor is around 10000 ohms at ambient temperature(e.g., 25 degrees Celsius). In the case of the super-capacitor RESU, thevoltage will be near zero when the terminal resistance is a shortcircuit (i.e., short) to ground.

The gate terminal (G) for the P-channel (enhancement mode) MOSFET 31 maybe connected to bias circuitry to start/stop the current flow throughthe current limiting resistor 32. This switching aspect may be used toactivate/deactivate the sensing as necessary. Variations in theexemplary detection circuit 30 exist. For example, in one possibleembodiment, the ADC 34 is part of a processor.

As shown in FIG. 3, the output of the detection circuit 30 is connectedto the charger's processor 22. The processor may be of any type (e.g.,microcontroller, microprocessor, FPGA, ASIC, CPU, etc.) that can beconfigured by software to perform various functions and/or controlvarious devices, systems and/or components. For example, software mayconfigure the processor to receive the output (e.g., digital signalrepresenting the voltage input) of the detection circuit and determinethe proper charging scheme based on the signal. The processor 22 maythen be configured to perform the appropriate charging process bycontrolling charging circuitry 23 to deliver the appropriatevoltage/current to the RESU over time.

* * *

To supplement the present disclosure, this application incorporatesentirely by reference the following commonly assigned patents, patentapplication publications, and patent applications:

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* * *

In the specification and/or figures, typical embodiments of theinvention have been disclosed. The present invention is not limited tosuch exemplary embodiments. The use of the term “and/or” includes anyand all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Thefigures are schematic representations and so are not necessarily drawnto scale. Unless otherwise noted, specific terms have been used in ageneric and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for selecting a charging process,the method comprising: connecting a rechargeable energy storage unit(RESU) to a charger, the RESU configured to supply electrical energy toa barcode scanner, and the charger configured to perform a firstcharging process for charging a supercapacitor and a second chargingprocess for charging a battery, wherein the charger comprises adetection circuit configured to interface with a pin on the RESU and tooutput a digital signal indicative of a voltage from the pin;ascertaining with a processor whether the digital signal indicates thatthe RESU comprises a supercapacitor or whether the digital signalindicates that the RESU comprises a battery; selecting the firstcharging process when the digital signal indicates that the RESUcomprises a supercapacitor; and selecting the second charging processwhen the digital signal indicates that the RESU comprises a battery;wherein the charger comprises one interface configured to receive bothan RESU comprising a supercapacitor or an RESU comprising a battery,wherein the RESU comprises a uniform mechanical shape and size and auniform electrical interface as between the RESU comprising asupercapacitor and the RESU comprising a battery, the uniform electricalinterface comprising the pin; wherein the digital signal corresponds toa terminal resistance at the pin; and wherein the terminal resistance atthe pin approximates the resistance of a short-circuit to ground whenthe RESU comprises a supercapacitor, and wherein the terminal resistanceat the pin approximates 10,000 ohms when RESU comprises a battery, theapproximates being sufficiently different such that the processor mayascertain whether the digital signal indicates that the RESU comprises asupercapacitor or whether the digital signal indicates that the RESUcomprises a battery.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein thebattery comprises a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery.
 3. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the detection circuit comprises aP-channel MOSFET.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the methodfurther comprises: charging the RESU using the first charging processwhen the processor selects the first charging process; and charging theRESU using the second charging process when the processor selects thesecond charging process.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein thecharger comprises a cradle configured to hold and charge the RESU. 6.The method according to claim 1, wherein the charger comprises a cradleconfigured to hold and charge the RESU while the RESU is connected tothe barcode scanner.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein thebattery comprises a plurality of lithium-ion batteries.
 8. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the pin comprises a thermistor pin atleast when the RESU comprises a battery.
 9. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the terminal resistance at the pin corresponds to theterminal resistance at a thermistor in the RESU.
 10. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to ascertainthat the RESU comprises a battery when the terminal resistance at thepin varies with temperature.
 11. The method according to claim 1,wherein the processor is configured to ascertain whether the digitalsignal indicates that the RESU comprises a battery at least in part byascertaining whether the digital signal corresponds to a resistance of athermistor.
 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the chargercomprises multiple charging bays, each of the multiple charging baysconfigured to perform both the first charging process and the secondcharging process.
 13. A charging system for a barcode scanner,comprising: a rechargeable energy storage unit (RESU) configured tosupply electrical energy to a barcode scanner; a charger configured toperform a first charging process for charging a supercapacitor and asecond charging process for charging a battery, wherein the chargercomprises a detection circuit configured to interface with a pin on theRESU and to output a digital signal corresponding to a voltage from thepin; and a processor configured to: ascertain whether the digital signalindicates that the RESU comprises a supercapacitor or whether thedigital signal indicates that the RESU comprises a battery; select thefirst charging process when the digital signal indicates that the RESUcomprises a supercapacitor; and select the second charging process whenthe digital signal indicates that the RESU comprises a battery; andwherein the charger is configured to: charge the RESU using the firstcharging process when the processor selects the first charging process;and charge the RESU using the second charging process when the processorselects the second charging; wherein the charger comprises one interfaceconfigured to receive both an RESU comprising a supercapacitor or anRESU comprising a battery, wherein the RESU comprises a uniformmechanical shape and size and a uniform electrical interface as betweenthe RESU comprising a supercapacitor and the RESU comprising a battery,the uniform electrical interface comprising the pin; wherein the digitalsignal corresponds to a terminal resistance at the pin; and wherein theterminal resistance at the pin approximates the resistance of ashort-circuit to ground when the RESU comprises a supercapacitor, andwherein the terminal resistance at the pin approximates 10,000 ohms whenRESU comprises a battery, the approximates being sufficiently differentsuch that the processor may ascertain whether the digital signalindicates that the RESU comprises a supercapacitor or whether thedigital signal indicates that the RESU comprises a battery.
 14. Thecharging system according to claim 13, wherein the terminal resistanceat the pin corresponds to the resistance of a thermistor in the RESU.15. The charging system according to claim 13, wherein the signalcorresponds to a voltage-level indicative of the terminal resistance atthe pin.
 16. The charging system according to claim 13, wherein thecharger comprises a cradle having a housing configured to mechanicallyand electrically mate with the RESU, and wherein the housing containsthe detection circuit and the processor.
 17. The charging systemaccording to claim 13, wherein the pin comprises a thermistor pin atleast when the RESU comprises a battery.
 18. The charging systemaccording to claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to ascertainthat the RESU comprises a battery when the terminal resistance at thepin varies with temperature.
 19. The charging system according to claim13, wherein the processor is configured to ascertain whether the digitalsignal indicates that the RESU comprises a battery at least in part byascertaining whether the digital signal corresponds to a resistance of athermistor.
 20. The charging system according to claim 13, wherein thecharger comprises multiple charging bays, each of the multiple chargingbays configured to perform both the first charging process and thesecond charging process.